I read the editorial, “Divide and rule” (Feb 5). The cosmopolitan culture of the country’s commercial capital cannot be allowed to be damaged by the secessionist, violent and ugly politics of exclusion being practiced by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. Till now, he has failed to make any political identity for himself and his outfit. He must be reminded that the making of Mumbai, as it stands today, is the result of the collective efforts of all its residents.

His irrational outbursts can have a destructive impact on the country. One may ask Raj whether he has any plan to settle in Maharashtra all those Maharashtrians who may be driven out of other states; or whether he has
sufficient labour force in Maharashtra to replace all the North Indians. Is it not painful that on the one hand we protest against any ill-treatment to Indians settled abroad while in our own country we fail to check the menace and venom of regional and parochial hatred?

In Maharashtra’s interest in particular and national interest in general,
Raj Thackeray should be booked on charges of spreading communal and regional hatred as his crime is no less than secessionism.

VED GULIANI, Hisar

II

Ironically, even as Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray has mellowed his once rabid sons-of-the-soil policy, which was his party’s raison d’etre till it decided to reinvent itself under Mr Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, Mr Raj Thackeray has sought to revive memories of lumpens setting upon “outsiders” and terrorising non-Marathi speaking people in Mumbai and its suburbs.

Possibly, Mr Raj Thackeray, having parted company with his uncle and cousin, is desperately seeking to create some space for himself in Maharashtra politics. The police have done the right thing by registering an FIR against Mr Raj Thackeray. Hopefully, he will be prosecuted and his cadre punished for running riot. Meanwhile, political parties should resist the temptation of fishing in troubled waters.

J.S. ACHARYA, Hyderabad

III

The provocative statements and violence against North Indians by Raj Thackeray and his supporters (and now by Shiv Sena leader Uddhav
Thackeray) are an outcome of immature and ambitious leaders’ frustrations. It shows their feeblemindedness to fulfill their political ambitions. Raj wants to pursue the politics of hatred and communalism.

India is a land of rich cultural diversity and unity in diversity is its biggest asset and strength. Anyone coming in the way of national integration and unity should be strictly dealt with. Such hooliganism should not be tolerated at any cost.

PARUL
SOOD, Shimla

IV

No regional party in Mumbai could have raised its voice against North Indians had the Centre implemented the recommendation of the 1955 States Reorganisation Commission to the effect that Bombay (now Mumbai) being above linguistic considerations should be a Centrally administered state like Delhi.

Maharashtra and Vidarbha could have been two Marathi-speaking states with Bombay Centrally administered as per the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission. Had it been done, Bombay as a city-state would have been a world class city today.

OMAR LUTHER KING, New Delhi

V

Raj Thackeray is questioning the country’s federal structure by advocating the need to uproot the migrants from Mumbai (Feb 6). Earlier, his
anti-Bihari statements were hardly condemned by our leaders, except by a few. Now he has challenged all North Indians.

If he is left free, this menace will spread to other parts of the country as well, as in Assam. And that would result in the fracture of the social fabric.

RUBY
NAUSHAD, New Delhi

Toll plaza in a mess

The new toll plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon border is in a terrible mess. Those entrusted with this work are inexperienced. Though Rs 25 lakh is collected daily from over 1,40,000 vehicles, the extent of harassment and inconvenience caused to the users here is shocking.

Why should people burn 20,000 litres of fuel daily waiting for their turn and wasting precious man hours? The National Highway Authority of India and the Union Ministry of Surface Transport are simply not bothered about this problem.

The Centre has been levying a cess of Re 1 on the sale of every litre of petrol/diesel towards the National Highway Fund; it nets Rs 20,000 crore every year. Why can’t the Centre handle all such plazas out of this fund and dispense with the private operators?

Alternatively, the states could levy a cess of 25 paise a litre of petrol/diesel and this can be used for building flyovers on all highways. This will also obliterate the need for toll plazas.